HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - April 1, 1998 (54)AGENDA TITLE: Authorization For Wide Area Network (WAN) Engineering Services And Equipment
Purchase ($75,000)
MEETING DATE: April 1, 1998
PREPARED BY: Deputy City Manager and Information Systems Manager
RECOMMENDED ACTION: That the City Council authorize Angus -Hamer, Incorporated to provide Wide
Area Network (WAN) engineering services for a WAN and that the City
Council authorize staff to implement the recommended network design in an
amount not to exceed a total of $75,000 which includes the engineering,
equipment and installation of the system.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The City Council, during its December 18, 1996 City Council meeting,
approved an Information Strategic Plan in which various actions were
recommended for approval. One item in particular which continues to be of
great importance to City efficiencies is connectivity, and the ability of
departments to be able to communicate to each other via computers and networks.
Mr. Stan Helmle, the City's Information Systems Manager, has reviewed in detail the City's current computer systems
and networks and concurs with the original 1996 recommendation for City-wide connectivity. Currently, the data
network at the City of Lodi is a collection of distributed networks which do not talk to each other.
The WAN will provide the following benefits to the City:
• Enable e -mailing between and among departments
• Allow for file transfers and sharing
• Improve access to City-wide information and maps
• Provide for access to the future Customer Information System
• Provide for access to the new Financial Systems Software
• Allow for remote diagnostics
• Allow for Intranet access
• Reduce the number of business and modem phone lines
• Provide remote scheduling of staff and resources
• Encourage reduction in paper
In order to facilitate a WAN, engineering of the system must first be designed to ensure that the technology is
accurately, and cost-effectively planned for current and future needs of the City. City staff members, although quite
competent in information technology, are not able to take on a project such as one of this magnitude without outside
expert assistance. This project is highly specialized and requires state-of-the-art knowledge of new and emerging
technologies.
APPROVED:
H. D' on Flynn -- City Manager,
Authorization For Wide Area Network (WAN)
Engineering Services And Equipment Purchase
April 1, 1998
Page Two
Angus -Hamer, Incorporated has the knowledge and expertise to successfully engineer the City of Lodi's WAN. Angus
will provide the engineering of the system and will create the specifications for the actual hardware, software, and
implementation schedule. The specifications will be designed in such a fashion that staff will be able to negotiate with
the best qualified and most able to implement the design at the best cost to the City.
Staffs knowledge will be augmented by going through the engineering process and will be able to maintain the system
in the future.
Engineering services will cost approximately $10,000 - $15,000 with the balance of the project costs for the actual
equipment and implementation.
FUNDING: $50,000 Capital .Outlay (current budget) ''J_X� . a' CL Q a,
$25,000 Contingency Vicky McAthie'
Finance Director
Respectfully,
41d,"J_ 4s�
Janet S. Keeter
Deputy City Manager
JSK